Multiplayer magic
Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
GameCube, £39.99 Nintendo, ****
It's time to dust off your GameCube, as the big boys are coming back. Resident Evil 4 will be in the UK soon, and the latest Zelda game is out now. This isn't the 3D epic fans have been waiting for, but a unique 2D adventure for up to four people. Players on their own will find this a decent Zelda game, although it perhaps lacks the grandeur of the series' finest moments.
The multiplayer element is the real draw, although gathering the required number of Game Boy Advances and cables is an expense. The majority of the game is displayed on the GameCube, with all players on screen at once. But enter a building and the action transfers to each individual GBA screen.
Players can then advance at their own pace throughout the interior section, with none of the hold-ups that blighted the similar Final Fantasy: Chronicles. Teamwork is essential to solve the puzzles that bar progression. These conundrums range from the simple - standing on switches at the same time - to a more inventive use of items and weaponry.
There is a surprising amount of depth, especially for a multiplayer game where refinements are usually sacrificed for immediacy. The graphics may lack 3D impact, but Zelda fans will be more than familiar with the look. Played on its own, Four Swords is enjoyable - but gather some friends and it becomes magical.
Greg Howson
Modest gains
The Settlers: Heritage of Kings
PC, £34.99 Blue Byte/Ubi Soft, ***
It has been a while since we have seen this "peaceful" franchise. At a time when real-time strategy (RTS) was about controlling ever bigger armies, the previous four Settlers games were more concerned with micro-management and lovingly animated production queues. So if your thing was watching bread baking rather than armies fighting, this was the series for you.
Three years on, the emphasis has changed. Heritage of Kings has armies and even hero units, with formulaic and largely unimpressive powers, making it feel more like other RTS games. It is no longer possible to triumph by economic or diplomatic means: no matter how well planned the economy, it will fail if not supported by a constant flow of conscripts.
You also get a 15-level campaign and a handful of multiplayer maps, although the closely scripted missions make progress easy by doing things in the wrong order. Keep getting attacked by rebels from the north? Simply locate and destroy their base before the game triggers the moment they reveal themselves. Once you work this out, it is hard to find the campaign challenging.
Despite this, Heritage of Kings draws you in with soothing music and an excellent English script, complete with comic rural stereotypes, the likes of which developers rarely re-record with this level of accuracy. There are dozens of units and buildings to find and upgrade, and it is still fun to watch the peasants going about their tasks. So, basically nothing much has changed. This is still an enjoyable, but hardly essential, game.
Mike Anderiesz
Anarchy on course
Outlaw Golf 2
PlayStation 2, Xbox, £39.99 Hypnotix/Global Star, **
Conceptually, Outlaw Golf 2 is interesting. It takes the most conformist sport, and tries to instill an anarchic spirit. The irony of this exercise in futility is that the game is not badly executed, although it lacks the polish of, say, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 2005.
Nevertheless, it boasts a smooth and forgiving shot-making system that caters for precision and is good enough to let you play deliberate hooks and slices. Unfortunately, it insists on mating that with American frat-house humour. Thus, you can choose between playing as scantily clad babes or tattooed convicts, over courses that feature unexpected hazards such as motorway overpasses.
Between shots, you are subjected to cut-scenes involving taunting and posing, which isn't amusing. One gimmick is prominently employed: a composure meter that rates your last shot. Your rating allegedly affects your ability to play the following shot to your satisfaction; you can rescue a sub-par composure rating by beating up your caddy. Unfortunately, the between-shot scenes are so tedious your inclination is to skip them, waiving the chance to alter your rating.
Steve Boxer
Top 5 games PlayStation 2
1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2. Need for Speed: Underground 2
3. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
4. Fifa 2005
5. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
· Source: Elspa, compiled by ChartTrack
